“The blood is the life!” – Dracula, Bram Stoker
A compulsion is an irresistible urge caused when a vampire fails to resist her Hunger. Her desire for blood becomes so acute that it’s nearly overwhelming: in that moment, her Beast stirs and her vampire nature surges close to the surface.
A Storyteller may roll randomly on the compulsion table or choose an appropriate effect, at her discretion. Storytellers are encouraged to give players room to interpret Compulsions according to character and situation, but shouldn’t be afraid to dictate character actions if a player shirks responsibility in portraying the compulsion.
General Compulsions
- Overpowering blood whisper. Memories or emotions of your last victim rise to the surface, whispering insistently in your ears. Lose an action if in combat, otherwise remain immobile listening to the murmurings for 1 minute.
- Check the surroundings! You feel an overpowering predatory need to survey the area for prey. You’ll stop at nothing to get a better view of the situation, spending precious time to reach a good vantage point, or become disabled by claustrophobia-like anxiety for a turn (or more, depending on scene and circumstances).
- Life nostalgia. You feel a sudden urge to do something that reminds you of the person you were when you were still alive. Call someone you knew in life. Zone out over a
smell from childhood. Eat your favourite food and then throw it up. Do something comforting and familiar to temporarily forget you are a blood-addicted monster. - Dead people problems. Fail at being human during this scene, with consequences. Forget to use the lungs properly. All that comes out is whispers. You grow temporarily cold and pale. Touch screens stops working. You stop blinking. (If you spent blood to appear mortal in this scene, the blood ceases to have the desired effect immediately.)
- Predator’s taint. Lash out. Hurt the person in the scene you like the most, socially, emotionally, or physically.
- Clan specific – 1
- Clan specific – 2
- Clan specific – 3
- The hunger rises. You suffer an overwhelming urge to feed during this scene. You must have blood. You must taste it, drink it! At least 1 blood must be consumed. If impossible, feed from self, causing 1 Aggravated wound.
- Frenzy! Make an immediate frenzy roll against perceived provocation or fear.
Brujah
1: Triggered. You are offended by something in this scene and react to it with extrovert anger.
2: Devil’s advocate. Take the opposite stance to the next suggestion that comes up and refuse to budge.
3: Frenzy! Make an anger frenzy roll. If you fail react with terrible anger at a perceived slight or provocation.
Gangrel
1: Check the surroundings! You feel an overpowering predatory need to survey the area for prey. You’ll stop at nothing to get a better view of the situation, spending precious time to reach a good vantage point, or become disabled by claustrophobia-like anxiety for a turn (or more, depending on scene and circumstances).
2: Animalistic. You lose the ability to communicate with language, temporarily unable to speak for the entire scene. With an effort you may make a few grunts, growls, or snarls.
3: Regression. Your higher brain functions are temporarily subdued, reducing you to acting on instinct for the entire scene. Self-preservation becomes a top priority, though you can still tell friend from foe.
Lasombra
1:
2:
3:
Malkavian
1: Sanguine animism. You become haunted by your last victim for the rest of the scene. You may do something to help your victim or even believe that you are your victim for the rest of the scene.
2: Madness Network – You are overwhelmed by a flash of insight about the current scene. Storyteller chooses the exact details and information, which you see as images and sounds in your mind. This is never pleasant.
3: Derangement triggers in a severe way
Nosferatu
1: You are hideous! Hide yourself at once. Do not let anyone see you! Flee if you can’t hide.
2: Someone know something, you need to find out what! Get new significant information by any means.
3: The pain and suffering of your embrace returns once more. Roll a frenzy-check. Fail and you will be incapacitated in writhing pain.
Toreador
1 Aesthetic fugue state. Enter a fugue state over a face, a voice, an image, a smell, a taste, etc. for the rest of the scene. You lose all sense of your surroundings, becoming immobile and focusing all your attention exclusively on this one thing. Describe the experience.
2 Crave intimacy. You crave intimacy with a mortal, or a kindred if no mortals are in the scene. You want and need someone to whisper that it’s all gonna be fine, to feel the primal intimacy of the motions of mortal sex, someone to hold you tight. The intimacy can be one-sided. If you fail you must feed
3 Obsession. You fall in love or hate with someone in this scene. This feeling continues until you act clearly on it, then the feeling passes.
Tremere
1:
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3:
Tzimisce
1: You need privacy. Other creature annoys the living hell out of you. Only alone with your thoughts and with home soil around you will be able to relax the howling of beast.
2: The power of vicissitude itches within you. You need to scratch it. Make a significant physical change to someone, or to yourself if you are alone or simple prefer to do so.
3: The voice from something ancient is heard within your head. Alien thoughts and visions from places you’ve never visit, screams of victims you never met and the sight of monsters your couldn’t dream of. Make an fear frenzy roll. If you fail, flee in terror!
Ventrue
1: Be seen. Make a declaration or speech, and make sure no one ignores it. Do whatever you must to be heard: stand on a chair, a table, a rooftop; shout if you must, and silence anyone who dares to interfere with you.
2: Obey orders. Look for instructions from above to comfort you—demand them if necessary!—and then carry them out to the letter. If you are alone God is always there.
3: Assert dominance. Give a command and make sure someone obeys it. Threaten, coerce, persuade, or use Dominate if you have to, but make sure your instructions are carried out.